Surveillance and Reporting

There is no national reporting or surveillance system for Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections. M. pneumoniae infections are common, but the true number of people affected is unknown. An estimated 2 million cases of M. pneumoniae infections occur each year in the United States.

Outbreaks occur mostly in crowded environments like college residence halls and nursing homes. Visit the Publications Page for articles on a sample of outbreaks that involved M. pneumoniae.

References

• Marston BJ, Plouffe JF, File Jr TM, et al. Incidence of community-acquired pneumonia requiring hospitalization. Results of a population-based active surveillance study in Ohio. The Community-Based Pneumonia Incidence Study GroupExternal. Arch Intern Med. 1997;157:1709–18.
• Porath A, Schlaeffer F, Lieberman D. The epidemiology of community-acquired pneumonia among hospitalized adultsExternal. J Infect. 1997;34:41–8.